In another sign that efforts to ban earmarks are losing steam, House Republicans today rejected a short-term moratorium on earmark requests.
The proposal, put forth by the House Republican leadership, would have prevented all House Republican members of Congress from submitting earmark requests through February 16, 2009. Instead House Republicans agreed to create a new commission to study the issue.
House Republicans defeated a proposal for a one-year ban on earmark requests earlier this year.
Since House Appropriations Subcommittee deadlines for member earmark requests usually come after February 16, a vote to ban earmark requests before that date would have been largely symbolic. However, fear that Democrats might push the deadline forward and that the vote might jeopardize Republican earmark requests in pending FY2009 appropriations bills helps explain today’s vote.